Over the last 12 months staff from Community Safety & Fire and services, including Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence, Housing, ASB and Drug & Alcohol treatment staff have completed training to help them with their role with vulnerable people and community safety issues.

The following courses have delivered.

Alcohol Awareness and IBA: Identification and Brief Advice

Just over 400 front line staff have been trained overall for 2017/18. This training has now been updated to incorporate more Motivational Interviewing principles.

14 x Basic Drug Awareness courses

A total of 253 people have attended and completed the BDA course for 2017/18

1 x Basic Drug & Alcohol Awareness – Isles of Scilly

This one-off course was arranged and delivered for the Isles of Scilly service staff (Health Centre, NHS Trust, Children’s Services Team, Police, St Mary’s Hospital and Age UK). A total of 8 people attended and completed the course.

1 x 2-day Blue Light Train the Trainer training

The Blue Light Project is Alcohol Concern’s national initiative to develop alternative approaches and care pathways for people who are dependent drinkers, who resist change and are a burden on public services. National guidance has been developed and this course aims to help roll out that learning across Cornwall.

A total of 11 people attended and completed the Blue Light TTT out of a potential of 12. This course will enable participants to run courses for others on working with change resistant drinkers. Participants are expected to have the ability and willingness to deliver future training in Cornwall. Plans are in place to deliver this training across the 10 identified Safer Towns for 2018-19.

2 x 2-day Dual Diagnosis courses

This course was run specifically for mental health services and drug & alcohol service staff in Quarter 4 2017/18. A total of 18 people attended and completed the 2 day Dual Diagnosis course

16 x 2-day Mental Health First Aid courses

This nationally accredited course which can only take up to 16 people. A total of 214 people have attended and completed MHFA training for 2017/18.

9 x General Motivational Interviewing courses

A total of 172 people have attended and completed the MI course for 2017/18.

2 x 2-day Specialist Motivational Interviewing

This course was run specifically for drug and alcohol service staff. A total of 36 people attended and completed the 2 day Specialist Motivational Interviewing course. Both courses had full attendance

2 x Update on Providing Substance Misuse Pharmacy Services

This is an annual update training event the DAAT deliver to all pharmacies. Two events were arranged – 1 in Lanhydrock (held in Q2) and 1 in Redruth (held in Q3). A total of 72 pharmacists/pharmacy staff attended and completed the training.

14 x Young People’s Substance Awareness & Screening training

A total of 181 people attended and completed the YP Screening training for 2017/18. This includes 2 sessions held specifically for GTY and YOS staff and 1 session for the service staff on the Isles of Scilly.

Feedback

“Good at raising confidence with usable tools and case examples.”

“Helpful to get confidence working out alcohol unit levels and using AUDIT.”

“Trainer very engaging with everyone at the training. Took time to listen and give advice.”

“Became more aware and understanding in my approach to service users”

“Hard work but instructive, entertaining and two days well spent”

A high percentage of the feedback received through the evaluation forms and through other sources is very positive. This ranges from comments made about the trainers to the level of learning people have gained through attending these courses. We have learnt through the feedback and the success of this training programme the gap within these services around substance awareness and engaging service users. We hope to expand the training programme to cover other areas, such as, Blue Light training and Routine Inquiry into Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) training in 2018/19.

I am really pleased to be able to advise that the contract for Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Services has been awarded to First Light South West working in partnership with Barnardo’s.

The contract commences 1 July and holds potential to run for 7 years and will deliver against the following:

Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA) Service

REACH

Family Domestic Abuse Prevention Programme

Recovery toolkits for children and adults impacted by domestic abuse and sexual violence

Therapeutic intervention for children and adults impacted by domestic abuse and sexual violence

DASV training

Healthy Relationships Programme

Offender programmes

This has been an ambitious procurement and First Light South West and Barnardo’s have been bold and visionary in their response giving the multi-agency evaluation panel confidence in their ability to deliver and opportunities for further exciting development.

A full communication strategy will follow.

I would like to thank First Light South West and Barnardo’s for their ambition and vision and wish them every success moving forward.

Safer Cornwall is delighted to be supporting

Sexual Violence Awareness Week Monday 5 February to Friday 9 February

National Sexual Violence Awareness Week is an opportunity for all services to highlight the wide range of fantastic support which is on offer and stand side-by-side to show our commitment to a zero tolerance of domestic abuse and sexual violence in Cornwall. The week is for raising awareness about sexual violence in all demographic groups.

Public events providing information, advice and support:

Monday 5 February – 9:00 – 16:00 Display stand to showcase all of the support on offer for those who are being affected by sexual violence. This will be at RCHT Trelawney Wing Entrance.

About LGBT History Month

Last year we looked at Citizenship, PSHE and Law as we marked the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of male homosexuality in England and Wales. This year we will be commemorating two rather more sombre events; the 30th anniversary of the passing of Section 28, which prohibited local authorities from disseminating materials that ‘promoted homosexuality’ in schools; and the fortieth anniversary of the murder by shooting of Harvey Milk, the USA’s first out-gay elected councillor. On a happier note, the rainbow flag was launched upon an unsuspecting public in 1978, although sadly its creator Gilbert Baker passed away last year.

We look forward to this year when we will focus on ‘Geography: Mapping the World’, especially now that our friends in Australia and up to 16 more central and south American nations will be able to enjoy same sex weddings.

Look at our calendar to see what’s happening where you are. If you have an event, put it up on our calendar. Check out the OUTing the Past National LGBT History Festival hubs during February to find out which one you can attend.

To catch up on all our and the LGB and T happenings across the UK, follow us on our Facebook page here and follow Schools OUT UK here.

Our friends at the Proud Trust have a fantastic LGBT History Month 2018 Resource Pack that you can access free here